“I honestly was in shock for a moment,” Heitzman said. “I thought that was just a huge change-up. It was definitely shocking.”

Heitzman spent his first three seasons in Ann Arbor as a defensive end, working his way into a starting job for seven games last season. In two seasons on the field, he’s recorded 15 tackles.

But for now, his 6-foot-3, 271-pound frame is needed more on the offensive side of the ball.

Heitzman’s position change came around the time that tight end Jake Butt tore his ACL last month -- though Heitzman said the plan to move to tight end was in motion before Butt’s injury.

Devin Funchess will also line up more at wide receiver than tight end going forward, Hoke said earlier this spring, meaning the Wolverines’ second- and third-leading pass catchers from last season likely won’t be lining up at tight end to start the 2014 season, as they did last year.

Of the other three tight ends on Michigan’s roster, only A.J. Williams has caught a pass for the Wolverines. Heitzman’s presence in that group adds depth.

“He’s done great, he’s done awesome,” Hoke said. “He’s a guy from a teammate perspective cares at winning, cares about the team. From a tight end perspective, I think he’s a real plus for us offensively on the line of scrimmage.”

Heitzman played tight end at Hilliard (Ohio) Davidson High School, where he primarily learned to run-block in an offense he said ran the ball 95 percent of the time.

With 10 spring practices in the books, Heitzman said that muscle memory is coming back.

“The basics and just stepping the right way, hands inside, driving your feet and everything, I’d say I definitely learned that in high school and am bringing it in now,” Heitzman said.

The hard part, he said, is the mental one: learning the playbook, the offensive calls and the new routes.

But now that the shock of the original announcement has worn off, his emotions have come round to excitement.

“I love both positions, I love both sides of the ball,” Heitzman said. “I was definitely excited to try something new, definitely lose weight, I was excited about that, to run and catch some balls.”